


Regrets/Reassurance

by Oblivion_Wanderer



Category: Turn (TV 2014)
Genre: Comfort, F/M, Guilt, Late Night Conversations, Post 2x09
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-22
Updated: 2017-02-22
Packaged: 2018-09-26 04:20:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,936
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9862238
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Oblivion_Wanderer/pseuds/Oblivion_Wanderer
Summary: He knows that Simcoe set him up for murder, but after the tense conversation between himself and Simcoe, Hewlett, knowing the truth, reflects on the events leading up to the siege carried out by the rebels. Thankfully, Anna is there to help him sort his thoughts.





	

**Author's Note:**

> I was writing chapter 3 of Adrift and came to a thought- Simcoe pretty much admitted to killing his horse, and now that Hewlett knows Simcoe set off the chain of events, I wondered if Hewlett realized that Caleb's uncle was innocent after all. Thus Simcoe killed an innocent man under his watch, and knowing this causes Hewlett a bit of guilt.
> 
> Also I'm if the timeline is a bit off; my dvd set of season 2 is at my dorm room and I'm not there right now (I'm on break and working up north), so I'm going by memory. Although this takes place pretty much post 2x09; after Hewlett and Simcoe's conversation, and after Abe and Anna kill the two men who were part of Simcoe's troop. (On that note, at some point in this Anna tells Hewlett she was at the tavern, but it's just a cover for her. Hewlett doesn't know what happened. This is just a note here to avoid confusion)

“You killed Bucephalus...”

It took Hewlett a moment to connect the dots with what Simcoe said, but it was a startling realization when it finally clicked, making him stop in his tracks. Simcoe was the true culprit behind the death of his companion.

At the time of this realization, when Simcoe confessed what he had done, Hewlett was more angry at the other man than anything. He was angry that Simcoe had been able to get away with his chaotic behavior for so long without any sort of punishment; that Simcoe had set him up to get kidnapped and practically tortured, that he had almost been killed by the very man he was trying to negotiate with. Somehow he kept himself in check and did not let his anger consume him like a fire. Instead he channeled it into a statement directed at Simcoe.

As he said, he would not sink to Simcoe's level; he would wait, wait for Simcoe could give him an excuse. Then... then he would act. He would be ready then.

Managing to form a shaky truce to avoid further confrontation, the two parted ways. It wasn't until after that conversation, when he had returned to Whitehall, that the Major began to think of the effects that Simcoe's actions had in the aftermath, specifically ones that ended up leading to the siege.

Hewlett knew now that it was Simcoe who killed his horse, fed him a poisoned apple. The truth wasn't as Hewlett had previously thought. He'd thought that Lucas Brewster had somehow poisoned the apple that was fed to his horse, a mistaken target in an assassination attempt. That was what he believed... a lie Simcoe had told him and that he had unfortunately bought into.

The result of believing that lie lead to several arrests, the rebels descending onto the town, and the death of someone that Hewlett now knew had been innocent of the initial charge.

In his room, Hewlett mulled these thoughts over, a glass of wine for his company. It was no longer the anger towards Simcoe that clawed at him, but guilt.

 _'If I hadn't allowed myself to fall for that lie, then maybe all this could have been avoided.'_ He thought as he drank from the glass. _'An innocent man wouldn't have died.'_

He set down the glass and rested his head in his hands. He'd been played for a fool back then, playing into Simcoe's agenda to root out rebels...

Suddenly he heard the sound of a door opening and he snapped out of his thoughts, almost spilling the glass due to being startled by the noise.

Panic flashed through him, fearing that it could be an intruder, or worse. Hewlett get up from his desk and pulled his pistol out from one of the drawers. It might not be anything but since his own capture, Hewlett was cautious, slightly jumpy at any sort of sudden noise. He knew it was a bit irrational, but the memory of the rebels grabbing him and dragging him away was still fresh in his mind. It had only happened a couple months ago after all.

As quietly as he could, Hewlett grabbed the candle from his desk, left his room, and moved to the stairs. Once at the stairs, he tried to descend quietly and slowly down them, and when he reached the point where he could see into the downstairs, he took a peek to see if there was anyone there.

He didn't see an intruder, but he did see Anna Strong, leaning against the door with her head tilted down.

 _'It's only Anna.'_ He reminded himself, relieved. He scolded himself for briefly forgetting she lived here too. He'd allowed her to live here to begin with, so she would have someplace safe to stay where Simcoe could not reach her.

Hewlett descended another step, but the wood creaked beneath his foot and he froze. Unfortunately this also caught the attention of Anna, who snapped her head up at the noise.

“M... Major.” She said, realizing he was there. “It's only you.”

“I'm sorry if I startled you.” He replied, making is way down the rest of the stairs and to her. “I was upstairs and heard a noise, and- well, ever since the rebels came here and took me I've been a bit scattered, for lack of a better word.”

“It's understandable. After what you went through, it makes sense you might be jumpy.”

He was grateful she understood. “Thank you. If I may ask, what are you still doing up? It's getting late.”

“I was... I was at the tavern.” She paused and gave him a tiny smile. “Some people just want to stay till I have to kick them out. I had to stay to clean up as well. Did I wake you when I arrived?”

She was probably only saying that because his coat and wig were missing. “No, you did not- do forgive me for my state of dress though. I was already awake. I was simply thinking.”

“About what?”

He wondered if he should tell her, or just make an excuse, but Anna was a formidable woman. She'd already heard the tale of the near month he spent in captivity- he'd told her when he was recovered enough- and told her about Simcoe's role. That morning when they had discussed what to do about Simcoe, she was equally involved in it. After all she was the one who put forth the idea of sending off Simcoe's second-hand man to, as Anna put it “take one of Simcoe's key players off the field”.

Hewlett had not told Anna that he was planning to meet with Simcoe, so she deserved to know that he had done so. Just as well, Hewlett felt like Anna was someone he could talk to and be understood in return, unlike Richard who was seeming to avoid him more and more as of late.

“Why don't we go into the other room?” The Major suggested.

She nodded and he lead her into one of the side rooms. Hewlett put his firearm and candle on a stand and they sat down on a couch.

“Does this have something to do with that pistol?” Anna asked, her voice sounding like there was a touch of worry in it.

“Not really. Like I said, I've been a bit on edge. I took my pistol in case it was an unwelcome guest, but it was only you.” He explained before jumping to the point. “Not too long ago I... I met with Simcoe out in the woods.”

“You what?” She asked, bring her voice to a hush. “Edmund-”

“Forgive me; I should have kept you in the loop, but it's only fair I tell you now since we're both trying to figure how to deal with this common enemy.”

“I'm just glad he didn't hurt you.”

That sort of worry was justified. Though they each had another man there at the meeting, Hewlett had been mindful with Simcoe, keeping up his guard in case he tried something. Nothing but talk happened, but even so, Hewlett was aware that Simcoe could still attempt to cause more damage; hurt or kill him if he pleased. When Hewlett had reached the rendezvous point, he half expected Simcoe to challenge him to a duel. He wouldn't be surprised if Simcoe eventually challenged him to such.

“I had another man with me, and we merely talked.” Hewlett explained. “We tried to work out something to resolve conflict between our troops. However, he said something, and it was because of that I realized...” He had to pause, recalling the moment he pulled the trigger and ended his friend's life, though it was a mercy. “Anna, I realized Simcoe killed Bucephalus. He confirmed it.”

A beat of silence, and, surprisingly, he felt Anna take his hand, albeit hesitantly. “Simcoe poisoned your horse. It wasn't a mistake and Lucas Brewster wasn't the culprit.”

Hewlett shook his head. “No, it wasn't.”

“I knew it; I thought something seemed odd. I was surprised when I learned Lucas had been accused with the original charge. Abe thought so too, and.... Well, he'd hate me for saying this, but you know now and he told me later. Abe purposely threw the trial. He tried to provoke sympathy for Lucas and doubt in the case with Reverend Tallmadge.”

Hewlett looked at her confused. “He did? But why would he-” But then he remembered the trial, and how Abe protested to his ruling of sentencing the prisoners to the _Jersey_. With this information from Anna, it made sense. “He was trying to save them...”

It was all so clear now, all the pieces in place. Hewlett remembered what Abe said, how, despite Hewlett's ruling, he thought the true assassin was still out there. Hewlett didn't know Abe had meant Simcoe (how could he have said it when they were in the same room), but Anna had now just told him that back then Abe had been suspicious of Simcoe. Abe had been on the right track.

Hewlett ran a hand through his hair, if he hadn't felt guilt before he sure did now. “Good God, what have I done?”

“Edmund?” Anna's voice cut through, like a light in the dark. She was still holding his hand, like she was being an anchor for him.

“Richard said that he thought it unlikely Mr. Brewster could have been the culprit behind the poisoning... I should have listened. Instead I let Simcoe play me for a fool, using me to fuel his own agenda. I let myself believe that I was the real target and Bucephalus was a miscalculation, but Simcoe killed him to get me to believe that. I wasn't thinking and he knew it.”

“Simcoe played off your suspicion and grief; that was his plan and he killed your friend to do it. It's a horrible thing to do.”

“It is, and it worked.” Hewlett lamented. “He planned this, and if I had just listened to Richard's logic maybe what happened after wouldn't have happened. I do not know about the rest, but Mr. Brewster was innocent and I got him killed when the rebels descended upon the town. They came for the people we were holding prisoner, and I put the town in danger for that. It all stems back to that morning, and the lie I believed. I really am a fool...”

By this time, Hewlett had turned his eyes away from Anna and looked at the floor instead. No wonder people called him the 'Oyster Major'.

“Do not talk about yourself like that.”

Anna's voice reached his ears and he looked up at her. There was a slightly stern expression on her face.

“Anna-”

“You didn't know.” She continued. “You didn't know, just like you didn't know he set you up for the murder of the rebel captain. He is the one who incited the chaos that happened following that morning, not you. And how could you have known what would have happened when the rebels came? How could you have known Simcoe would shoot Lucas in front of his own nephew, one of my friends I knew growing up, who was right there with the other rebels? Edmund,” Her voice got a bit softer when she spoke his name. “You were only doing what you thought was right with the information you had at the time, and you protected the town valiantly and to the best of your ability. It might have been a matter of time before rebels attacked regardless, but your agreement to the truce and letting the prisoners go was an honorable choice.”

She gave his hand a squeeze and her eyes met his.

“You are a good man, and you are not at fault here.”

Hewlett wasn't sure what to say, touched by the fact she did not blame him for what had happened and saw good in him. She didn't think he was a failure as those who called him by the nickname 'Oyster Major' might.

It made his head a bit clearer, and he was able to manage a tiny smile.

“Thank you, Anna. That means a lot.”

“It's no trouble. Besides... Simcoe has played us both before. You with this and getting you captured- he's played me before too, and I have felt guilt about it as well...”

Hewlett's smile disappeared and he now felt concerned. “What do you mean?”

She pulled her hand away from his, averting her eyes from him. “When you were gone, no one was doing anything to get you back. I tried everything I could. Foolishly, desperately... I went to Simcoe for help.”

He felt a knot of anxiety tighten in his chest. “He didn't hurt you, did he?”

“No. We talked, and eventually I was able to convince him to go after you, to bring you back. I should have known better, especially when he... when he forced me to kiss him as payment, in front of the whole town. I didn't know he meant to kill you regardless. I only realized it when you told me about your time at the outpost and when Simcoe tried to kill you.”

It was bitter knowledge, and only fueled his anger toward Simcoe ever more. Despite the initial spark of jealously, in his mind he knew that Simcoe had humiliated Anna. He tricked her and humiliated her in view of the town, probably taking some sick satisfaction in that. It was another grievance and another reason Hewlett hated Simcoe. Instead of letting it boil over, however, he kept himself in check and directed attention to the point Anna was trying to make.

She was right, they'd both been made fools of.

“You didn't know...” Hewlett said softly. “He tricked you, just like you tricked me.”

“I know he did.” She replied “I'm angry at him more than anything. That night in the tavern, just before you arrived, he tried to tell me you were dead, and for a moment I believed it. After you showed up, I knew that Simcoe was lying to me. I was angry at him, even more so when you told me he tried to kill you. Like I said though, when you told me that, I could not help but feel guilt because I asked him to save you.”

“Oh, Anna...” He knew Anna was using that to get her point across to him, and now he understood. Yet... “You just told me not to fault myself for what happened back then, so don't fault yourself for this ether. We were both tricked, like you said; simple as that.”

She finally met his gaze again and gave a nod. “It's in the past; we can't go back and change it. Right now what we need to be concerned about is Simcoe.”

“To keep him from causing any more trouble.” Hewlett paused and took a deep breath. “Yes... Yes, you're absolutely right. And to do that we can't allow ourselves to be consumed by past guilt.”

“Agreed. Speaking of which, I talked to Jor- ah, Akinbode. He said he doesn't know if Simcoe will let him escort Cicero to Abigail, but he'll try.”

“I saw him when I met up with Simcoe, but let's give it a bit more time to see the result of this move.”

“And if it doesn't work?”

“We'll have to work a new angle. We'll figure something out.”

A smile came back to her face, and Hewlett was reminded all over again about what it was he loved about her. She was so smart and brave, and at the same time she had a kind heart. He was grateful for her words and that they could talk about this together.

“Well, like you said, the hour is late.” Anna reminded him. “We should both be asleep right now.”

“Yes, you are right. We must keep our minds sharp.” Hewlett rose from the couch and grabbed his pistol to bring back upstairs with him. He then returned to Anna and held out his hand for her to take. “Allow me to walk you back to your room.”

Anna took his hand and stood, then she took the candle. Silently, they left the room and went back up the stairs, hand in hand. When they reached Anna's room, he paused to let Anna go, although he didn't want her to go. Hewlett wanted to remain close to her- he hoped one day she might return his feelings, but understood of she didn't, thus being near her was enough.

“Thank you for your words of wisdom, Anna.” He said to her, sincerely. “I hope you sleep easy.”

“The same to you. I'm glad I could help.”

Their hands remained intertwined still as they stood there. Hewlett looked down his hand holding hers, savoring it for a brief moment. He then looked back up at Anna and regretfully let go of her. The ghost of feeling her hand in his remained. Hewlett wasn't sure what, but ever since the night he came back, when Anna kissed his cheek in the tavern, something felt like it had changed. Something in their relationship had changed.

Maybe it was something for the better, or at least Hewlett could hope. Maybe they were becoming more.

“Goodnight, Edmund.” Anna said quietly.

“Goodnight, Anna.”

She gave him a curt nod and withdrew into her room. Hewlett then took his leave and went back to his own room.

Although he smiled to himself, the talk with Anna having cleared his mind a little.

 

 


End file.
